Exploring the Mysteries of Antiquity

Two days!

It took Taiichi two whole days to clean up the mess left by Tsunade.

In the past two days, Tsunade has not only failed to show her face once, but she has also not gone home to stay overnight.

If Taiichi hadn't known that she was a powerful ninja herself, he would have been tempted to report the case to the Konoha Military Police Force, because Princess Tsunade of Konoha, had mysteriously disappeared.

Imagine sending the Uchiha clan to find the Senju princess; that would be incredibly interesting. Tsunade would be furious for days on end, enough to deter her from ever staying out all night again.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking.

After dealing with these trivial matters, Taiichi finally had time to examine the spoils of war.

The divine thought of Evil God, or rather, a wisp of divine thought clone, is truly a very rare thing.

In the Ninja World, the Taiichi beings who can still be called gods are the Evil God and the Death God.

As for the others, either all that remains is their title, or even that title has disappeared into the annals of history.

These supernatural beings that roamed the ancient times, after experiencing the blows of the Otsutsuki's descent and the planting of the God Tree, were either killed, went into hiding, changed their paths, or self-destructed. Every one of them who has survived to this day has their own unique skill.

These are all people Taiichi should learn from.

Taiichi's underground laboratory.

This is Taiichi specially excavated to study some "forbidden techniques".

The secret chamber was sealed and reinforced by Taiichi with a powerful isolation Barrier, so even if an enhanced version of the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken were placed inside, no one outside would notice.

At this moment, in this secret room, a huge Sealing Talisman array was engraved on the ground, Taiichi himself was sitting cross-legged in the center of the Talisman Formation.

Before him, the scroll that sealed the Evil God's thoughts lay quietly on the ground. Taiichi had gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of this research.

After adjusting his breathing, Taiichi clasped his hands together and entered Sage Mode. Without further preparation, he unleashed the Adamantine Sealing Chains, and eight gleaming golden chains shot into the sky from his back. In mid-air, they twisted and plunged into the Sealing Scroll.

At this moment, the once quiet Sealing Scroll suddenly trembled violently, as if the ferocious beast sealed within was struggling wildly, about to break free of the seal.

Upon seeing Taiichi, Taiyi changed his hand seals, suddenly increasing the output power of his Senjutsu Chakra. The golden chains suddenly thickened, more than doubling the sealing power, which finally suppressed the tremor.

"As expected of a god, even a divine thought should not be underestimated."

Taiichi muttered to himself, but his eyes shone with a burning light. Now that everything was ready, it was finally time to make a move.

Taiichi's spiritual power, like the most precise probe, carefully probed into the Sealing Scroll along the Chakra chains of the Adamantine Sealing Chains. The moment his spiritual power touched the core seal of the scroll, hum!

Taiichi felt as if his consciousness had been swept into a turbulent vortex. A strong sense of dizziness swept over him, and the scene before his eyes blurred and distorted for a moment, then suddenly became clear and fixed.

He found himself standing at the entrance to a palace far more magnificent than he could have imagined.

The towering dome is inlaid with unknown gemstones, emitting a soft yet luminous glow that illuminates the entire space. The massive columns are carved with intricate and ancient patterns, and the floor is made of smooth, mirror-like black crystal that clearly reflects human images.

The air was filled with a tranquility and solemnity that seemed to have been preserved for millennia, a stark contrast to the sinister aura he had imagined Evil God should possess.

In stark contrast to the bloody and filthy place, it even possessed a captivating sense of sacredness.

"This is... an illusion constructed by divine thought?"

Taiichi felt a chill run down his spine. Far from relaxing, he became even more vigilant. The more beautiful the appearance, the more dangerous the interior might be. He composed himself, raised his perception to its limit, and slowly stepped into the depths of the palace.

At the far end of the empty hall stood a colossal throne that appeared to be carved from a single piece of white jade. Upon the throne, a hazy figure was tightly bound by countless energy chains shimmering with dark golden light. As Taiichi approached, the figure gradually became clearer.

It was a man with long, flowing, blood-red hair reaching his waist. His face possessed an almost eerie beauty, his skin was deathly pale, and his eyes were a deep, dark red.

He was dressed in a simple, dark robe, but he looked somewhat disheveled at the moment, with chains deeply embedded in his body, as if they were one with his very being.

This is the sealed manifestation of the Evil God's divine will, an ancient and powerful, sinister being.

When Taiichi walked to the foot of the throne and looked up to meet its gaze, the Evil God with long, blood-red hair suddenly opened his eyes! His dark red pupils erupted with boundless rage and humiliation.

"Mortal!!!"

A roar, like a thunderclap, exploded in the empty hall, making the entire space seem to tremble slightly.

The Evil God struggled violently, the chains binding him rattling and taut. His long, blood-red hair stood on end without wind, each strand bristling like burning crimson flames, and his violent pressure, like a tangible tsunami, crushed down on Taiichi.

"How dare you! How dare you blaspheme against Kamui! How dare you imprison my incarnation among mortals!"

The Evil God's roar carried a spiritual impact, attempting to directly crush Taiichi's will. "I am the Evil God who wields flesh and blood! Your soul will be eternally condemned to purgatory, suffering the torments of divine punishment!"

The terrifying pressure was enough to break the mind of an ordinary Kage Level expert. However, Taiichi, standing below, remained completely still.

There was no fear or hesitation on his face, not even a furrow of his brow.

He simply looked up calmly, even with a hint of scrutiny, at the enraged incarnation of the god. His immense spiritual power radiated outwards from him, analyzing everything around him, including the thoughts of that Evil God.

The Evil God's roar and oppressive aura continued for a long time, his fury echoing throughout the entire palace.

But no matter how much he vented his anger or threatened him, the boy below remained as silent as a rock, unmoved.

Those calm eyes seemed to pierce through all illusions, directly gazing into his vulnerable, bound state.

Gradually, the Evil God's roar subsided, and his blood-red hair slowly fell down. The rage in his eyes did not disappear, but a hint of surprise and—fear—was added.

Something's not right about this mortal!

"Hmph----" The Evil God snorted coldly, forcibly suppressing his anger. His voice became deep and seductive, like the finest wine.

"Mortal, what do you desire? I see the greed in your eyes. Why cling to offending Kamui? Release this foolish seal, and I can grant you something far beyond your imagination!"

As he spoke, the scene in the palace suddenly changed.

The smooth black crystal ground beneath Taiichi's feet instantly transformed into flowing golden sand. Countless dazzling gold coins, gems, pearls, and agates gushed forth from the golden sand like a fountain, piling up into a mountain.

Then, the illusion shifted again, and he seemed to be at the pinnacle of power, with countless powerful ninjas, nobles, and even Daimyo prostrating themselves at his feet, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

The scene shifts again, with stunningly beautiful women surrounding him, their charming smiles and alluring eyes displaying their utmost seduction.

Finally, the illusion settled into an eternal tranquility, where the sun and moon shone together, and the stars never fell, symbolizing eternal life and youth.

"Endless wealth, supreme power, unparalleled beauty, and—immortality!" The Evil God's voice was full of seduction. "Mortal, if you release the seal here and allow my divine will to return, all of this will be yours! Within your grasp! Why oppose a god and invite your own destruction?"

Wealth?

That power?

Beauty?

Taiichi's lips curled into a disdainful smile. He pursued the true meaning of power and the evolution of life, not simply the act of surviving.

The temptations of the Evil God were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating only a ripple before quickly disappearing.

He remained silent, simply gazing at the Evil God on the throne, his eyes seeming to say, "Continue, I'm listening."

The illusion within the palace shattered like Utakata, returning it to its magnificent yet cold and empty state.

The seductive expression on the Evil God's face froze completely, then transformed into an indescribable gloom and frustration.

He stared intently at Taiichi, and a flicker of fear finally crossed the depths of his dark red pupils.

This mortal is completely impervious to reason and persuasion!

A deathly silence permeated the palace, oppressive and suffocating.

The Evil God's avatar on the throne seemed to have become a frozen statue, with only his long, blood-red hair occasionally swaying unconsciously.

After a long, long time, as if time itself had lost its meaning, the Evil God finally spoke slowly and with great difficulty, "Mortal—what—do you want?"

He no longer roared, no longer tempted; his tone was filled with weariness and helplessness.

"I—admit, I underestimated you. Your strength is extraordinary." He paused, as if each word weighed a ton, "Times have changed—the energy of heaven and earth—is no longer what it was in ancient times."

I already bore wounds that were difficult to heal from that great battle. Now, believers are dwindling, and faith is as thin as smoke.

Every ounce of my strength, every wisp of my divine will—is precious and cannot be lost.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring directly at Taiichi, with an almost pleading tone. "This wisp of divine thought—is of vital importance to me. Without it, my revival will be a long way off."

Speak—mortal, how can you spare me? Knowledge? Secrets? Methods of power? As long as—as long as it doesn't touch upon my core essence, I—can answer any question you ask."

Taiichi understood.

Just as he suspected! The Evil God's compromise confirmed his earlier suspicions.

These gods nowadays, whoever they may be, are merely clinging to life; otherwise, given their power and methods, how could they remain so obscure?

Leaving aside the fact that the Evil God's voice was rather improper, even a high-ranking deity like the Death God could be summoned by ninjas.

You say this isn't bad enough?!

"Very well." Taiichi finally spoke, his voice calm and unchanging, revealing neither joy nor anger. "I have no intention of killing you personally. My purpose is knowledge, truth, and the method of power operation."

He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Tell me, in ancient times, how did beings like you cultivate?"

What is the fundamental difference between the gathering of power and the application of rules, and the current Chakra refinement and Ninjutsu training? Also, when the Otsutsuki descended, what role did you "gods" play? What did you encounter?

Taiichi's questions came like a machine gun, each one hitting the core, involving the nature of power, historical secrets, and the weaknesses of the gods.

He also made no attempt to avoid mentioning "Otsutsuki," a taboo name known only to a very few in the Ninja World.

The Evil God's blood-red eyes narrowed sharply, clearly deeply affected by the word "Otsutsuki," a trace of deep-seated fear and hatred flashing across his face. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options and organizing his thoughts.

"In ancient times, Natural Energy was much gentler than it is now. Spiritual beings absorbed Natural Energy to temper themselves, comprehend the world, and condense their divinity. This is the way of spiritual cultivation."

This is fundamentally different from the Chakra you refine by mixing spiritual and physical energy within your body.

The former borrows the power of heaven and earth, while the latter merely taps into its own meager potential.

The Evil God's voice carried a sense of reminiscence and arrogance, but quickly became low and somber. "As for what happened later, the devastating blow brought by the arrival of the Otsutsuki with the 'God Tree'..."

The God Tree is a predatory and highly polluting monster that directly extracts the planet's essence and the spirituality of living beings, causing a sharp decline in the energy of heaven and earth, disorder in the laws, and an extreme rage in Natural Energy.

Those gods who relied on the old system were the first to suffer; they either perished or, like him, fell into a long slumber, barely clinging to life.

The words of the Evil God are a mixture of truth and falsehood, and some are also vague.

He deliberately described some ancient methods as extremely mysterious, seemingly containing supreme power, but he was vague about the key points or buried dangerous traps.

He also described the threat posed by the Otsutsuki as incredibly terrifying, as if they were pure destroyers.

As for their own weaknesses, they tend to downplay them and even embellish some flaws as strengths.

Taiichi listened quietly, like the most focused student. His brain, like the most efficient processor, clearly recorded every word, every syllable, and even the subtle mental fluctuations uttered by the Evil God.

He didn't interrupt, didn't question, and maintained a calm and composed expression throughout, as if he were completely unaware of the traps and falsehoods in the Evil God's words.

The "friendly" exchange continued for an unknown period of time. In order to preserve this precious divine thought, the Evil God had to rack his brains and reveal knowledge that was sometimes true and sometimes false, sometimes profound and sometimes superficial.

Taiichi, on the other hand, is like a greedy sponge, absorbing all information, whether true or false.

Finally, when the Evil God's voice gradually subsided, indicating that he had said enough "irrelevant" information, Taiichi nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your honesty." Taiichi's voice remained calm, devoid of emotion. "Your divine sense is safe for now."

Having said that, he stopped looking at the complex-looking avatar of the Evil God on the throne, and his spiritual will, like the receding tide, decisively and cleanly withdrew from this Sealing Space.

Inside the underground laboratory.

Taiichi, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the massive sealing array, slowly opened his eyes. The golden chains of the Adamantine Sealing Chains were still firmly attached to the scroll, but the scroll itself had stopped trembling.

Taiichi's face was slightly pale; maintaining high-intensity mental probing and Sage Mode for an extended period had taken a toll.

However, his eyes burned with an unprecedented fervor, the excitement of having his thirst for knowledge greatly satisfied, and the deep reflection on the information he had acquired.

He stood up and walked to the workbench beside him, where specially made blank scrolls and writing materials had already been prepared.

Taiichi sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to rapidly replay, organize, and categorize all the information he had just "heard" from the Evil God in his mind. Then he wrote it down one by one.

Ancient tales and anecdotes.

The methods of spiritual cultivation.

The essence of the God Tree.

Changes in Natural Energy.

As more and more words appeared on the scroll, Taiichi became immersed in the initial sorting and analysis of these ancient secrets.

The Sealing Scroll lying quietly on the ground flashed with an extremely faint and subtle blood-red light the moment Taiyi turned his Taiichi to it, before disappearing completely, as if everything just now was an illusion.

Taiichi also knew that much of the information here was erroneous, and that perhaps only two or three tenths of it was true.

But he didn't care. He had the time and energy to slowly explore its secrets, after all, the divine sense was still in his hands.

Sometimes, to uncover a secret, you don't necessarily have to hear it from someone's mouth.